Agent's Take: Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey should be NFL's highest-paid kicker; when will Jerry Jones pony up?

The Dallas Cowboys have been on a spending spree ever since trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in late August. Cornerback DaRon Bland was the first beneficiary of the All-Pro edge rusher's departure. He signed a four-year, $90 million contract extension -- worth up to $92 million through salary escalators -- averaging $22.5 million per year three days after Parsons was traded. 

Hunter Luepke was next. He became the NFL's third-highest-paid fullback at $3.5 million per year on a two-year, $7 million extension worth a maximum of $7.5 million a couple of days before Dallas' regular-season opener. 

Tyler Smith reset the offensive guard market ahead of Week 2's game against the New York Giants. He received a four-year, $96 million extension, averaging $24 million per year, with an offensive guard-record $81.2 million in guarantees.

As a 2023 undrafted free agent, kicker Brandon Aubrey has been eligible for a contract extension since the end of the 2024 regular season, just like Luepke. Aubrey, who is making $1.03 million in the final year of the three-year, $2.695 million contract he signed in 2023, expressed interest in a new deal during the early part of the offseason. "I'm eligible for an extension so it's up to my agent to go up to the Cowboys and see if there's any interest in signing it there early," Aubrey said in February.

Aubrey's performance against the Giants has seemingly put him on the Cowboys' contract radar screen. He nailed a 64-yard field goal with no time left in regulation to force overtime. Aubrey sealed Dallas' 40-37 victory with a 46-yard field goal in overtime as time was expiring.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about Aubrey's contract situation during his weekly radio appearance on Dallas' 105.3 The Fan. "Well, he (Aubrey) certainly is coming," Jones said on Tuesday. "We'll be looking at that, probably have had communications since the kick. He's certainly in the future."

Aubrey is arguably the NFL's best kicker. Nobody has made more field goals of 50 yards or more since he entered the NFL in 2023. Aubrey is 27 of 30 (90%) on such kicks, including four of six from 60 yards or more. 

Excluding Aubrey, the conversion rate is 69.2% (357 of 516 attempts) for field goals of 50 yards or more during this span. Other kickers have made 7 of 20 attempts (35%) on field goals of at least 60 yards beginning with the 2023 season. 

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey is coming for GOAT status -- and an NFL record may be weeks away

Garrett Podell

Aubrey was named a first-team All-Pro as a rookie and was a second team All-Pro in 2024 because of his efforts. The 65-yarder Aubrey made against the Baltimore Ravens last season is the second-longest field goal in NFL history.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the Giants' victory that Aubrey's range is approximately 70 yards. In fact, Aubrey attempted a 70-yard field goal at the end of the first half against the Carolina Panthers last season. Basically, anytime the Cowboys cross midfield, Aubrey is a threat to put points on the board.

Aubrey has switched agents since signing with the Cowboys. He certainly didn't select Athletes First's Todd France, who is also Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's agent, for representation to have contract discussions with Jones himself. 

France has driven an extremely hard bargain in his negotiations for Prescott. Expect France to do the same with Aubrey.

It's hard to imagine France accepting any deal that doesn't make Aubrey the NFL's highest-paid kicker. That's currently Harrison Butker with the Kansas City Chiefs. He signed a four-year, $25.6 million extension, averaging $6.4 million per year, during the 2024 preseason. The deal has $17.75 million in total guarantees, which was fully guaranteed at signing. These marks are records for a kicker.

Aubrey would be justified in wanting to be the league's first $7 million-per-year kicker given his exploits. The salary cap went from $255.4 million in 2024 to $279.2 million this year, which is a 9.32% increase. Butker's contract adjusted for salary cap inflation is approximately $7 million per year. Getting $20 million fully guaranteed at signing shouldn't be out of the question either.

Aubrey playing out his contract because of Jones balking at his contract demands would make him a restricted free agent in 2026. Putting the lowest RFA tender, which only entitles Dallas to matching rights, on Aubrey would be a risky proposition. It would be inviting an offer sheet from another team. With a 2026 salary cap in the $300 million to $305 million range, this tender would be between $3.5 million and $3.575 million.

The Cowboys would have two other RFA tender options with Aubrey. A second-round tender for Aubrey, which would give the Cowboys a second-round pick if an offer sheet wasn't matched, should be around $5.8 million. 

Teams have a tendency to err on the side of caution with valuable RFAs who were undrafted, like Aubrey, by giving them a second-round tender. Nine undrafted kickers, including Chris Boswell and Justin Tucker, have received second-round RFA tenders since the lockout took place in 2011.

There's also the seldom-used first-round RFA tender. The last time a RFA received a first-round tender was cornerback Darious Williams by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. The first-round RFA tender should be over $8 million in 2026. The Cowboys would get a first-round pick with an offer sheet that isn't matched. 

If Dallas wasn't convinced a second-round tender would dissuade teams from making a run at Aubrey, a franchise tag would be a possibility. Impending RFAs are eligible for franchise and transition tags.

The franchise tag would be more cost effective and more of a deterrent than the first-round RFA tender. The 2026 franchise tag for kickers/punters projects to 2.164% of the 2026 salary cap. This amount should be between $6.5 million and $6.6 million with a 2026 salary cap in the $300 million to $305 million neighborhood. The draft compensation for an unmatched offer sheet is two first-round picks. An Aubrey offer sheet would never happen with a franchise tag.

Jones is beginning to take more of a proactive approach to signing core players long term than he has in recent years. Smith's contract wasn't expiring until after the 2026 season thanks to the Cowboys picking up his fifth-year option worth $21.271 million. An RFA tender in 2026 was avoided with Luepke's new deal.

Dallas dragging its feet with Aubrey will be more costly especially if he keeps kicking like he has so far during his NFL career. Aubrey would be justified in targeting in excess of $7.5 million per year next offseason. The growth in the salary cap could be approaching close to 20% since Butker signed his deal. For example, under a $302.5 million 2026 salary cap, Butker's contract is a little more than $7.575 million per year when the increase is taken into account.

It's probably just a matter of by how much Aubrey will reset the kicker market. That may largely depend on the timing of Aubrey's next contract.